Archive for July 11, 2012
"Palestinians pressured not to seek international probe into Arafat’s death"
Peter sent me this: “Thought you might be interested in this piece. China’s Xinhua News Agency has recently taken a higher profile in its Middle East reportage. It’s just my personal impression, but I think the Chinese government is trying to tak…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
The ruler of Yemen
“His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States, Gerald Feierstein, arrives at the Italian ambassador’s residence to attend an Italian national day reception. He walks in with a frown, disregarding the other guests, and makes for a far corner …
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Saudi anti-Ibadhi campaign
Bob sent me this in response that was sent to me by A. yesterday: ”The story about the Saudi-Ibadhi contains many factual errors 1- Ibn Bazz died in 1999. He couldn’t have had issued a fatwa against Ibadhis in 2009. Even if the author meant to …
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
MBC TV in Ramadan: sectarian season
Mohammad sent me this: ”House of saud Media is insisting to spread very oriented, Sectarian Programs and TV Shows in this Ramadan, ( the MBC1 specifically). Lets take a tour in MBC programs’ List. 1.Omar Alfarouk ( huge series will be aired in …
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Interfering in elections
“The “wizard” Ashraf Ghani was widely hailed in western op-eds about the Afghan reformers who will save the day, but he finished in fourth place, losing even to a homeless man who campaigned from his car. That man, Ramzan Bashardost, actually wo…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
The puppet congratulates his master
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Olmert on Tuesday afternoon to congratulate him on the acquittal, said Nimr Hamad, an Abbas adviser. ”There is no doubt that a great opportunity was wasted with the absence of Olmert. There had been …
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Protecting Lebanon
Lebanese security forces are protecting Lebanon from Israeli aggression and threats. (thanks “Ibn Rushd”)
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Account of Israeli racism
“An Israeli of Ethiopian descent is amazed at the public response to his Facebook post describing a racist attack he underwent last April. Jajao Bimaro, 27, said he had been attacked with pepper spray and an electric shocker by a policeman in Ha…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
On the same side of Al-Qa`idah
No one in the US media is noting this historic irony: for the second time, the US is on the same side of Al-Qa`idah.
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
walls
The Israeli racist barrier will go down like the Berlin Wall: and the regime behind it will go down with it too.
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Where the refugees are welcome
“Over the past two months the Bedouin town of Rahat has become a city of refuge for Sudanese migrants, who are trying to avoid being located by Interior Ministry inspectors and deported to South Sudan. “Immigration police doesn’t come here; t…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Western hopes about Saudi royal family
“The arrest of the Saudi cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, disappointed some activists and diplomats who had hoped that the Sunni monarchy might ease up on crackdowns under a new interior minister who had succeeded one considered to be a hard-liner on dissent.”
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
How the New York Times covers repression in Saudi Arabia (versus how it covers Syria)
Let us start with this: ”Videos posted on social networking sites on Tuesday night showed an avenue filled with rows of chanting mourners. Other videos showed youths throwing incendiary devices at what appeared to be a police car, and rocks at a …
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Saudi murder
The writer of this article calling for reform in Saudi Arabia was killed by Saudi regime forces the other day.
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Zee Tribe, zee tribe
Analysis of Libya’s election should also take into consideration that Mahmud Jibril hails from one of the largest tribes in Libya.
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Cracks in the Syrian ruling group?
It is too early to tell. If Manaf Tlas officially defects it may be a sign. But if there are cracks in the ranks of the ruling group, it may signal the beginning of the demise of the regime. I remember as a youngster I read somewhere in Len…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Oman Repression
“A rights groups has criticised Oman for the sentencing of human rights activists on defamation charges, a sign that political reforms introduced by the strategic Gulf state in the wake of unrest last year may be under threat.” (thank…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Old and new newspapers in the Arab world: In and Out
Western media (and especially Israeli experts) are often out-of-date. They don’t know that the last decade has witnessed the demise of old established newspapers and the rise of new newspapers. You still see references in the Western media …
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Ahmad Al-Asir
This story about the Sidon-based, Sunni cleric, Ahmad Al-Asir (shown above) is silly. He is regarded as a joke in Lebanon and even the Hariri movement and some Salafites are distancing themselves from him. And the story does not tell the cl…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad
Syrian National Council Delegation
I really feel that when a delegation of the Syrian National Council meets with a foreign delegation, they are introduced by their leader as follows: this is a token Christian, this is a token secular, this is a token woman, and this is a token Kurd and…
Posted on July 11, 2012 by As'ad